


I'll Always Choose You

by kazkazooz



Series: Let’s Stay Together [1]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Best Friends to Lovers, F/M, Happy Ending, Inspired by House M.D., Michelle Jones is a Little Shit, Mutual Pining, Peter Parker is a Little Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:46:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21916231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazkazooz/pseuds/kazkazooz
Summary: “Who are you cheating on Felicia with now?” MJ sniffed at a bouquet and scrunched her nose.She went to Peter’s office next to hers after she got off work and saw the bouquet on his desk.A beat. “I'm not cheating.”“You bought flowers.”“For my wife.”“You only buy presents when you’re guilty about something.”He finally looked up from his monitor to her face, “I got you presents on every holiday and your birthday every year. I also buy you lunch everyday.”
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: Let’s Stay Together [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580638
Comments: 15
Kudos: 123





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Inspired by House M.D.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Al Green – Love and Happiness](https://open.spotify.com/track/13FkFPnKX1eC2V3nwSy5YB)

“Who are you cheating on Felicia with now?” MJ sniffed at a bouquet and scrunched her nose.

She went to Peter’s office next to hers after she got off work and saw the bouquet on his desk.

A beat. “I'm not cheating.”

“You bought flowers.”

“For my wife.”

“You only buy presents when you’re guilty about something.”

He finally looked up from his monitor to her face, “I got you presents on every holiday and your birthday every year. I also buy you lunch everyday.” He shifted his gaze away immediately after saying that.

MJ ignored him. She sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

“The more expensive the gift the guiltier you are. Judging from this bouquet I'm thinking it was your first date?” She counted the flowers. There were 12 red roses. It couldn’t be more than 20 dollars, she figured.

“I'm not seeing anyone.” He futilely insisted.

“You’re married.” She put down the bouquet and fixed him a glare.

“And you haven’t been with anyone in five years.”

He tried to play it off casually. Still didn’t change the fact that he’s been keeping tabs on her love life.

“You’re deflecting.”

“I'm saying you don’t know what it’s like to be in a relationship because you always push people away.” He blurted.

“And yet here you are.”

Peter felt his throat closing up. He took a deep breath and turned to face her again.

“I'm not cheating on Felicia. And I don’t need your advice.” He affirmed.

“So you’re not coming to bowling’s night tonight?” She sank back into the chair, staring at him intensely.

“…I'll get my shoes.”

* * *

“So, you **are** avoiding her. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here bowling with me.”

MJ bowled a perfect strike. She nailed it.

“It couldn’t be because you’re my best friend and I value our friendship?”

Peter sighed, taking his turn after her. His ball went straight into the gutter.

“You're throwing too hard, idiot.” She smirked at him, then went back to the previous topic, “If that’s the case you wouldn’t buy flowers and not giving to her.”

“I'll give it to her when I get home.” He massaged his wrist to soothe some imaginary (psychological) pain.

“She’ll be asleep by the time you’re home.”

“I didn’t come bowling with you because I want to be interrogated.” He grunted.

It’s true that he preferred hearing about her day than being interrogated. It amused him to no end how she could taunt her underlings—Flash especially—to death with her words alone. Her dark humor and sarcasm were also his favorites.

“This is what I do. You wouldn’t still be my best friend after 10 years if you don’t like it. You love me.” She playfully winked at him as she brushed by him.

Peter sighed, defeated. He couldn’t argue with that.

“Mystery solved.”

* * *

“Was it Cindy the new nurse in oncology? I saw you having dinner with her the other night, you were wearing a fancy tie.”

MJ was still going on about the cheating thing the next morning when they met up at the hospital’s cafeteria for breakfast.

“I was just being nice. She’s new and nervous about the job, and I’m the head of oncology.” That part was true, but then he came up with a lie which he somehow thought would help with his argument: “And Felicia bought me that tie.”

She considered for three seconds.

“Nah, she hates green. You bought it yourself.” She raised the spoon from the yogurt cup and pointed at him.

He should have known better than to lie to her.

“I hate green. Only you would like that color.” He almost forgot to add: “And Felicia.”

“I don't know her that well but I definitely remember she hates green. And I know you. You don’t hate green, you have a bunch of green stuff.”

And here he thought she never noticed.

“You don’t know her well because you always refuse to have dinner at ours.” It was his umpteenth attempt to deflect.

MJ huffed, “Trust me, it’s better that way for all of us. She doesn’t like me and I don't like her. It’s mutual hatred.”

“She doesn’t like you because you call me to pick you up all the time, even in the small hours.”

She blinked, “You don’t have to come every time I call you.”

“You’re my best friend, and I value our friendship. Didn’t I say that?” He had gotten better at not blushing, but the butterflies in his stomach were never gone.

“You’re the nicest doctor in this hospital but you only got one best friend? Pathetic.” She sneered.

“At least I have other friends, unlike you.” He finally managed to retort.

“Ouch.” She put a hand on her chest to feign being hurt.

Peter smiled, relieved that no matter what happens, he’d still have her as his best friend.

* * *

“Why won’t you let me in on your poker’s night?” Peter pouted.

“When was the last time you saw your wife?” MJ didn’t stop reading her novel of the day, but answered him without delay.

“What does that have to do with poker?” He frowned.

“Stop going out with me every night and go home before you forget what she looks like.” She scolded.

“She won’t even be at home! She’s on call tonight.” He sounded almost exasperated.

“Nope.” She popped the ‘p’ loudly.

“MJ. Come on, I'll pay for the pizzas and beers.” He bargained.

“That’s nothing new, you’re always the one paying.”

“I'll do your dishes?”

She was considering. His plan worked. Huh, that was easy.

“Screw the pizzas, I'm craving for lo mein.”

“The one that’s half an hour's drive away?”

“Yep.”

He should know by now that nothing about her will ever be easy.

“It’ll be one hour back and forth!”

“You want in or not?” She arched a brow, challenging him.

Of course he’d say yes.

He’d pretend to be annoyed, but the truth was he was more than willing to do anything as long as he got to spend time with her.

* * *

Peter was washing the dishes and mugs in the kitchen sink while MJ was lying on the couch, eating a whole pint of ice cream.

“So, are you telling me why you’re avoiding your wife if it wasn’t because you’re cheating?” She was slurring her words because of her mouthful of ice cream. He thought it was cute.

“You finally accepted that I've been telling the truth?” He looked over his shoulder, hands still washing and rinsing the dishes.

“If you were cheating, you should be with that girl now. Or guy.” She declared her reasoning.

“Told you I wasn’t cheating.”

The claim was technically completely true, but it made his stomach churn saying it to MJ.

“But you have a history. Wasn’t Felicia the one you cheated with on Gwen?”

“No, that was Liz.” Did she really forget or was she just pretending?

“Oh, right. That’s around the time we just met. And after Gwen divorced you, you had serial hookups for years. How could I forget?”

She always liked to make fun of those years of meaningless hookups that he had. That was during the first five years of their friendship.

“You were with Harry at the time.” Coincidentally. Or maybe not.

Her eyes became alerted. She sat straight, staring daggers at him and wordlessly warning.

He was done with the dishes and entering the living room. Her eyes were tracking him as he moved to lean on the back of the couch, half-sitting and half-standing.

“I thought we had an agreement to never bring up that name ever again.”

Her calm facial expression didn’t quite match with her tone.

“And I thought you’d stop interrogating me.” He was basically pleading.

MJ chuckled a bit and went back to her usual sarcastic-self like a switch turning on.

“That’s the best part of my life. How could I miss out on that?”

“As long as you’re happy, MJ.”

He meant it.

* * *

Peter came into work with a hangover. His assistant got the chocolate that he asked for on his desk. His head pounded harder than earlier and he started to think about eating the chocolate himself.

MJ burst through his door without so much as a knock.

“Ooh, is that chocolate I see in your hands? And it’s Felicia’s favorite brand, isn’t it? Expensive. What did you do, you went to a strip club after drinking with me last night?” MJ sat down in front of him, wiggling her eyebrows.

For someone who drank that much last night, she sure looked energetic.

“It was 3 a.m. when we got kicked out of the bar.”

“It was your fault, by the way. I could handle a few stinky drunk men on my own.” She huffed indignantly, crossing her arms.

“He touched your shoulder.”

MJ rolled her eyes, but she didn’t look annoyed at all, “Whatever. So, if not the strip club then what was it?”

“It’s for her birthday.”

She made a face.

“Huh. And I thought you were being generous. What is it, you spend all your money buying that first edition of _A Manual of the Operations of Surgery_ for me?”

“If you don’t stop grilling me I won’t pay for your lunch today.” He was hoping she would go easier on him today seeing as he’s suffering from a hangover, but she didn’t.

“Was it sex? When was the last time you guys have sex? I haven’t seen that glow on you for what now, six months?”

His sex life with Felicia was probably the last thing he wanted to discuss with MJ.

“Not everything is about sex, MJ.”

Little did he know what was waiting for him.

* * *

Peter was standing at MJ’s doorstep with a suitcase. He didn’t explain why he was there or even say a word, just stood awkwardly.

They had finally came to this day, she thought.

“You idiot. You told her.”

He shook his head, “She told me.”

_…What?_

* * *

They settled on the couch, sitting next to each other but still left some distance between.

“She told me she’s been with other guys for months. Turns out you’re right, it is about sex.” Peter eventually said after staring at the television for 15 minutes. A male character was being brutally murdered.

She took a few seconds to digest his words, “You have ED?”

Peter looked at her incredulously, mortified.

“ **No.** ” He stated as firmly as possible to make sure she knows it’s true, “I just…wasn’t at home a lot. And when I was I didn’t feel like doing it.”

She hummed in acknowledgement.

“You want beers?”

MJ offered and Peter accepted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I woke up this morning and this popped into my head, so I just wrote it.  
> I intended this to be a one-shot, but maybe I'll write another chapter, idk. Depends on if anyone actually wants it I guess.  
> Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and thank you for reading!  
> (Find me on tumblr: [@kazkazoozoo](https://kazkazoozoo.tumblr.com/))


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Ain't No Mountain High Enough](https://open.spotify.com/track/7tqhbajSfrz2F7E1Z75ASX)

MJ was sleep-deprived and grumpy the entire next morning. She mocked her subordinates’ stupid diagnoses more curtly than usual and snapped at Flash a few times.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Sally dared to ask after she caught sight of MJ yawning.

Flash—being the first to arrive this morning and the one who’d known MJ the longest among his peers—had come to the right conclusion from MJ’s mumblings.

“Apparently Penis Parker blow dry his hair.”

“Peter finally moved in with you?” Sally put two and two together.

“What do you mean ‘finally’?” MJ narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows.

“I saw her drive him here this morning.” Abe stated matter-of-factly.

“That’s not surprising. The male always drives the female.” Flash scoffed.

MJ glared at Flash. She was about to slaughter him with some scathing criticism for even opening that stupid mouth when Peter knocked on the glass door.

He poked his head into the room. His face was glowing with excitement.

“Hey, I made us lunch. Wanna eat in my office?”

The pure happiness that his voice conveyed swept MJ’s bad mood away and made her feel giddy.

She nodded.

“Okay, awesome.” The smile on his face grew wider and brighter, “I'll see you later.”

He turned to go back to his office with a little skip in his step. They could all see him through the clear glass wall.

MJ heard giggles and snickers behind her. She rolled her eyes.

“Shut up.”

* * *

MJ went to get two cups of coffee from the vending machine before going to Peter’s office for lunch.

“You brought me coffee?” He saw the two cups in her hands. His brows shot up in surprise.

She handed him one. He took it over and cautiously examined.

“What? You’re worrying that I might drug you?” She joked, deadpan.

“It’s just, you never brought me coffee before.” His eyes were still staring at the cup, twinkling with amusement and delight.

He’s not even bothering to hide anymore, she thought.

MJ looked away from his stupid, grinning face before going into tachycardia.

“What’s this? And what’s that smell?” She opened the food container on his desk, frowning.

“It’s stuffed peppers.”

“Stuffed with what, vomit?”

“Taste it.” He gave her a spoon.

MJ tentatively scooped a bit and put it in her mouth. It actually tasted pretty good.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Peter looked thoroughly proud of himself.

“No.” She had to wipe off that smugness on his face, but she couldn’t help licking the spoon, “Just better than it looks.”

He still had that smugness.

“Where did you get the ingredients, anyway? I don’t have pepper in my fridge.” She remembered.

He was already washing the pans after cooking when she came out of the shower this morning, so she didn’t see him preparing the food.

He took a huge gulp of coffee before answering: “I bought groceries before I went to your place. Speaking of which, I'm thinking of making you dinner tonight. What do you think about meatballs?”

* * *

They were standing in her tiny kitchen side by side. MJ was rolling and throwing the balls between her hands while Peter was preparing the sauce.

“Did you call a lawyer?” She spoke up, disrupting the peaceful sizzling sound from the pan.

His back stiffened a little.

“Can you shut up about my broken marriage and roll your balls?” He stirred the sauce forcefully with the spatula.

She had gone back to quietly rolling hers balls until she suddenly said: “They’re smoking hot.”

“What?” Peter lifted his head up to look at her, confused.

“Your balls.” She dropped her gaze to the level of the countertop at his crotch height.

His mind shut down for three seconds before he registered a burning smell and realized she was referring to the smoking meatballs in the frying pan behind him.

“Oh, shit.” He cursed under his breath and hurried to save the balls. He nearly died of embarrassment right then and there.

* * *

“So, how long are you planning on staying here?” MJ was munching her balls and staring at him across the table.

Peter was biting off the inedible charred exterior when her words dawned on him.

“Why? You’re kicking me out?” His voice cracked.

“What? You think we should try counseling first?” She jested.

Peter didn’t laugh at her joke. That’s rare.

MJ backtracked immediately.

“No. I'm just asking what your plan is. If you’re staying longer than a week then I think I should get you a mattress.” She lowered her head, poking the balls around with her fork.

“You’d do that for me?”

Peter’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Just repaying the lunch money I owe you all these years.” She said, shrugging it off.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

MJ finally looked into his eyes after a stretch of silence. Peter’s scorching gaze was so earnest that she forgot how to breathe for a moment.

“I know.” MJ smiled weakly.

* * *

Peter barged his way through the crowds in the hallway to her office after work.

“We’re running low on groceries. Wanna come with me to the supermarket? I can cook whatever you want me to.”

MJ looked up from the journal in her hands.

“We’re roommates, not married couple. We don’t have to eat dinner together every night.” She gave him a stern look.

Peter looked hurt.

“But we practically do that before I even moved in.” He quite literally shrank like a deflated balloon and gave her that puppy dog eyes.

She caved.

* * *

“Stop putting them back on the shelf.” Peter scolded, batting MJ’s hand away from the vegetables he put in their cart.

“I don’t like vegetables.” She pouted. Her face was all scrunched up in disgust.

“You need to have a balanced diet.”

He had his hand hovering behind her back in case he needed to stop her from straying over to the snack section.

“I survived till this day, I think I’m good.”

MJ was pushing the cart faster, making Peter chase. Damn those long legs.

“Do you eat anything other than junk food? All I found in your fridge were ice cream and beer.” He said teasingly.

“Do **you** eat anything that doesn’t taste like unseasoned cardboard?” She retorted.

“This is the only thing you can’t get me to budge. I’m looking out for your health.”

He wanted her to still be around 60 years later, or maybe even longer. Preferably forever.

“You lied. Didn’t you say you’d cook anything I want?”

“I did. Didn’t say I won’t make you eat things you hate, though.”

She stopped pushing and glowered at him.

“I hate you.” Her words didn't bite in the slightest.

“Well, be thankful I’m not making you eat me then.” He laughed.

Peter didn’t realize what he just said until MJ gave him a meaningful look.

Someone behind them burst into a fit of giggles. They turned around and saw a young girl beaming at them.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I overheard you guys talking and I just thought you’re really cute together.” She explained, still giggling a little.

“We’re not together.” MJ said.

“I’m getting divorced.” Peter blurted out promptly.

The girl was still smiling but frowned at MJ.

“Because he’s making you eat vegetables?”

“I’m not the one divorcing him.” MJ said coldly.

The girl tilted her head, failing to understand.

“It’s…it’s hard to explain, sorry…” Peter said and nudged MJ to move on.

* * *

MJ got paged back to the hospital for some emergency, so she ordered Peter to stay at home to do the laundry.

He noticed a set of black lacy lingerie when he’s folding the freshly washed and dried clothes. His whole body heated up and suddenly he was sweating.

He placed her clothes neatly on her bed and returned to the couch in the living room—where he slept these days.

It was still before noon. He was feeling a little drowsy so he sneaked back under the thick blanket.

The couch wasn’t as nice as a decent bed, but it was comfy enough. The warmth coax him to relax easily. It was nice, but maybe a little too hot. It was because of his own body temperature.

The image of MJ wearing nothing but the lingerie popped under his closed eyelids.

 _She won’t be back any time soon._ His horny brain successfully won over his rational mind.

He reached his right hand under the band of his sweatpants to his painfully erected boner. He was just starting to stroke gently and let out a quiet moan when he heard MJ’s voice.

“So you weren’t lying about not having ED.”

His eyes shot open. MJ was propping herself up on the couch arm where his pillow leaned against, staring down and smirking seductively at him.

“MJ, I…” He was speechless.

“Go on. I’m just watching.” Her throaty voice made him harder than before.

He did as she said.

Her fingers lightly trickled along his jaw, scratched at his ear lobes then caressed his scalp. The movement of his hand quickened and he groaned in pleasure.

He looked into her heavy-lidded bedroom eyes, feeling the orgasm coming.

“Are you coming?” She smiled sweetly with closed lips.

Wait. “Why aren’t your lips moving?”

“Peter, you coming?” He heard MJ’s voice from her room.

He woke up from the dream and sat up.

“What?” His brain was still fuzzy.

“I’m going out to buy your mattress. I was asking do you wanna come with me to pick out the one you like?” She leaned against the doorjamb, crossing arms and looking at him suspiciously.

“Uh. Yeah, sure.” He stuttered, “Um. Just, I have to shower first.”

Her face remained expressionless, but he could tell that her eyes were scrutinizing him.

“I’ll give you five minutes.” She went back into her room and shut the door.

He bumped his knee into the coffee table hurrying to the bathroom.

* * *

MJ finished work and went to get Peter so they could drive home together, only to be surprised that Felicia was in his office when she got there.

“-can talk later. I’ll wait at Mickey’s.” MJ heard Felicia said behind the closed door.

Peter immediately snapped his head to look at MJ the moment she swung the door open.

“Michelle.” Felicia gave her a brief glance, then walked past her and left the room.

“I assume she’s here to get you to sign the paper?” MJ tried to appear nonchalant.

Peter hesitated a beat.

“No. She said she wants to talk things out.”

Her face fell.

“I don’t have to, though.” He quickly added, “There’s nothing to talk about, really. I can leave the legal stuff to my lawyer-”

“It’s fine.” MJ interrupted him, “You should go, she’s waiting at Mickey’s, right?” That’s his favorite diner.

“Are you sure?” He was frowning a little, unsure what to do.

“Yeah. I want some time alone, anyway. Haven’t gotten any since you moved in.” She lied.

“So you’ll be at home?”

“Mhm.” She nodded quickly.

He put on his coat. “I’ll be home soon, promise. You’ll be there when I’m back, right?”

She just nodded again.

They left his office together but went on seperate ways once they were out of the hospital.

* * *

MJ didn’t go back home. She got drunk at the bar. Not the usual one that Peter and she visited regularly, but the one she went when she’s wallowing in self-pity.

Actually, self-mocking would have been more accurate.

She wanted to prove that all human relationships were conditional, so she pushed people away when they got too close.

But Peter always came back to her.

He was the one subject that didn’t adhere to her theory, so she kept experimenting.

She knew he wanted to stay with her more than anything, but she couldn’t stop herself from pushing him further away.

She wanted to be sure that no matter how hard she pushed he’ll be back again.

But maybe this time her theory will finally be proven right. That’s not the outcome she wanted, though.

She played herself, really.

“Give me another one.” She was about to raise the empty glass, but a strong hand pushed it back down.

It’s Peter’s hand.

“This isn’t your home.”

MJ turned to him, “How did you find here?”

“I’ve been your best friend for how long?” Peter sighed like that’s not even a question.

He paid for her drinks, then took her hand to lead her out to the car he parked outside the bar.

He drove her home. They were both silent in the car.

* * *

They sat on the couch for half an hour long without talking to each other. MJ was sipping on a glass of water. Her head was clearer now.

She broke the silence.

“So. How did the ‘talk’ go?” She croaked.

“Felicia and I both signed the paper. It’s over.”

“Oh.”

And she was quiet again.

“That’s it?” Peter asked disbelievingly.

 _He’s really making me do this, huh?_ MJ nervously squeezed the glass in her hands.

“I’m sorry. About pushing you away.” She was looking down at her lap and biting the inside of her cheek, “I’m a coward.”

He hummed.

“I appreciate your apology, but isn’t there something more you want to say to me?”

“Like what?” She frowned, turning to face him.

They stared at each other. The twitch in the corner of his lips slowly grew into the biggest grin.

He’s such a little shit.

“I’m not going to say ‘I love you’.” She grunted, annoyed.

Peter chuckled happily.

“It’s okay, I can say it first.”

MJ dropped her head shyly, waiting for him to say it. 30 seconds had passed.

She was annoyed again, “Are you going t-”

He cut her off by cupping her face and kissing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this au into a series. Might explore some things I left out this time (e.g. how they met, their family…). Please subscribe to the series if you want to get notification when I post a new work!  
> Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and thank you for reading!  
> (Find me on tumblr: [@kazkazoozoo](https://kazkazoozoo.tumblr.com/))


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